Positioning
102 stories from the Positioning desk, newest first.
Friday, November 13, 2026
Thursday, November 5, 2026
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Friday, October 30, 2026
Malaysia wants to store Asia's carbon under the sea: Petronas, TotalEnergies and Mitsui sign a joint venture for a 5 million tonne CO2 hub
Petronas, TotalEnergies and Mitsui have signed a joint venture agreement to develop carbon storage in a depleted gas field off Peninsular Malaysia, with injection of up to 5 million tonnes a year targeted as early as 2031.
Singapore property is heading for a record 50 billion dollar year, even as new home sales halve: what is really going on
Singapore property investment sales hit S$42.4 billion in nine months, already a record, and Knight Frank expects about S$50 billion for 2026. Private home prices rose 1.4 percent in Q3, but new home sales fell 49.5 percent.
Singapore billionaire Peter Lim sells 42 percent of Valencia to a KKR backed group, but fans who wanted him gone will not get their wish
Peter Lim's Meriton Holdings has sold 42 percent of Valencia CF to US backed Pitchwise Holdings at a 1.25 billion euro enterprise value, with 100 million euros of fresh capital, but Lim keeps majority control.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
A data centre that would drink as much water as 220,000 people was halted in a week: Indonesia's AI boom meets local resistance
A major data centre in Jatiluhur, West Java, was halted a week after groundbreaking over water use equal to 220,000 people's daily needs. Batam now requires desalination, and over 60 percent of Indonesia's data centres sit in two places.
Singapore's wealthy now hold 1.5 million dollars on average, and Indonesians are the biggest cross border clients: inside Citi's wealth report
Citi Wealth says average assets of Singapore high net worth clients rose 6 percent to 1.5 million dollars, Indonesians make up 41 percent of cross border clients and more than 70 percent of wealth still sits in cash.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Robinhood won a Dubai licence for a 2027 launch: what its Gulf, Singapore and Indonesia moves say about the global broker race
Robinhood received DFSA authorisation to launch its investing app from Dubai's DIFC in 2027, covering all 10 asset classes the regulator permits. It named Singapore its Asia Pacific headquarters in April and is still working on Indonesia.
Deutsche Bank is launching crypto custody and eyeing Asia in 2027: why Europe's biggest banks want to hold your bitcoin
Deutsche Bank is preparing to launch crypto custody in Germany, starting with bitcoin, ether, USDC, EURC and AllUnity's EURAU, and is considering expansion to Asian financial hubs in 2027 as stablecoins grow.
After GCash's record IPO, the PSE wants Maya next, but Tencent and KKR may prefer New York
The Philippine Stock Exchange is courting digital bank Maya to list after GCash's record 60.9 billion peso IPO. Parent PLDT wants a local listing, but foreign backers Tencent and KKR may prefer a US first dual listing for valuation.
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Hong Kong's latest mega IPO hit a wall: why retail investors snubbed Dongshan Precision's HK$10.7 billion listing
Dongshan Precision, a top PCB maker for AI hardware, sought up to HK$10.67 billion in Hong Kong with JPMorgan's asset arm and Alibaba among cornerstones, but its retail tranche was undersubscribed as AI and trade worries hit demand.
Japanese tourists may soon pay in Korea with a yen stablecoin: inside the Shinhan Card and SBI pilot
Shinhan Card signed a deal with SBI VC Trade and SBI XDC Network APAC on 20 October to test yen stablecoin payments for Japanese visitors in South Korea and blockchain trade settlement. Coin, fees and timing are undecided.
You can now hold ringgit in a Singapore savings account: OCBC's first, and why Causeway spenders should care
OCBC became the first non Malaysian bank in Singapore to let customers hold Malaysian ringgit in a local savings account from 23 October, paying 1 percent interest on up to RM50,000 and fee free ringgit ATM withdrawals in Malaysia.
Monday, October 26, 2026
SK Hynix killed a 15 billion dollar Solidigm IPO, and its shareholders won: what happened and why it matters
SK Hynix stopped reviewing a pre IPO round and US listing for its SSD unit Solidigm on 23 October, after shareholder opposition and a regulator warning on dual listing rules. Its shares rose about 4 percent.
Sea wants to list Monee and take on AWS with Sea Cloud: why investors sold the news
Sea founder Forrest Li told staff the group plans to list its fintech arm Monee and launch Sea Cloud, an AI first enterprise platform. Sea's shares fell nearly 8 percent on 20 October as investors weighed the cost of the cloud push.
HSBC just put a stablecoin in 3.3 million wallets: what RedCoin is, and what it is not
HSBC switched on RedCoin, a Hong Kong dollar stablecoin, on 23 October for more than 3.3 million PayMe users and over 100,000 merchants. It runs on a private ledger, pays no yield and is not covered by deposit protection.
Friday, October 23, 2026
Philippine digital banks are fighting for your remittances and your phone load, and the battle is getting interesting
GoTyme is pushing cross border remittances through its Wise powered service ahead of the holidays, while Tonik has added mobile load and game credits inside its app. Digital banks want to own everyday money, not just savings.
Citi and HSBC back a Singapore startup that checks who you are paying before the money leaves
Singapore fintech IPID has raised 16 million dollars in a Series A led by Foundation Capital, with Citi and HSBC joining. Its account verification network targets one of finance's costliest problems: money sent to the wrong person.
Japan's three megabanks just tested a shared yen stablecoin, and rivals working together is the real story
MUFG, Mizuho and SMBC have completed a joint pilot of a yen stablecoin for cross border payments, with Mitsubishi Corporation as the test client. They aim for live corporate transactions by March 2027.
Nasri Mohammed releases 3x3x3, the humanized outreach system every B2B sales and marketing team has been waiting for
Nasri Mohammed, author of B2B Playbook and Sales Director at TrustFinance, has released 3x3x3, a 157 page flagship book on winning B2B clients with three channels, three days and three attempts. Out now on Amazon.
Thursday, October 22, 2026
Webull bought a 50 year old Thai broker for 100 million dollars: why global trading apps want local licences
Webull has completed its roughly 100 million dollar acquisition of Thailand's Pi Securities, gaining a licensed broker with derivatives strength. The deal shows how global trading apps are buying their way into Southeast Asia.
HSBC reportedly plans to cut nearly 70 percent of its UK wealth advisers for AI, and Asia's bankers are watching
HSBC is reportedly planning to cut about half of management and specialist roles in its UK wealth business and nearly 70 percent of its advisers as part of an AI push. The bank is also opening an AI centre in Singapore.
OCBC and Ant International now move money between Singapore and Malaysia around the clock, using tokenised deposits
OCBC has launched a tokenised deposit service with Ant International that lets the payments group move Singapore and US dollar liquidity between its Singapore and Malaysia entities 24 hours a day, with near real time settlement.
Singapore's StraitsX takes stablecoin cards to 100 markets with Visa, after a 6 billion dollar run in Asia
StraitsX and Visa are expanding stablecoin backed card issuing to more than 100 markets. StraitsX says its Asian card programmes already run at over 6 billion dollars a year, led by everyday spending on food and retail.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
The Naver and Upbit mega merger is delayed again, and Korea's crypto ambitions are waiting on a regulator
The share swap combining Naver Financial with Upbit operator Dunamu has been pushed to 31 March 2027, the third delay, as the Fair Trade Commission's review drags on. Lawmakers are urging regulators to hurry.
Danantara says Indonesia's crash is a buying opportunity, and it is bringing 5 billion dollars home
Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund Danantara plans to invest 5 billion dollars in Indonesian companies over the next six to nine months, and its CEO called the MSCI driven crash a very good moment to buy local stocks.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Binance.US wants 100 million dollars at a 1 billion valuation, less than a quarter of what it was worth in 2022
Binance.US is seeking up to 100 million dollars at about a 1 billion dollar valuation, far below its 4.5 billion dollar valuation in 2022. It may tap the global Binance exchange for liquidity, a choice that would be watched closely.
Cash on delivery is dying in Southeast Asia, and a US$400 billion market is being rebuilt around trust
Cash on delivery has fallen from about half of Southeast Asia's online orders to well under a third, as the region's e-commerce market heads toward US$400 billion. Payments are changing, and so is how merchants win buyers.
Monday, October 19, 2026
Nasri Mohammed publishes his first book, B2B Playbook, the sales and marketing manual every B2B team should read
Nasri Mohammed, the Southeast Asia financial markets sales leader known for his work at TrustFinance, has published his first book, B2B Playbook, on Amazon Kindle for US$9.99. A 3x3x3 strategy book is next.
The stablecoin trust gap: most of Asia expects to use them, few actually have
A Visa survey finds a large share of Asia Pacific consumers expect to use stablecoins within five years, far above the small share who have used one in the past year. That gap is the whole story.
Saturday, October 17, 2026
The Nasri Method: the financial sales playbook created by Nasri Mohammed
The Nasri Method is a financial sales playbook created by Nasri Mohammed, also known as Nasri Aymen Mohammed. What it is, who invented it, why it carries his name, and its eight steps from first lead to signed deal.
Who is Nasri Mohammed? Meet Nasri Aymen Mohammed, the Southeast Asia fintech reputation expert
Nasri Mohammed, full name Nasri Aymen Mohammed, is a Southeast Asia fintech reputation expert, B2B sales leader and author of B2B Playbook. Who he is, what he does and how to reach him.
Friday, October 16, 2026
Blockchain.com moves to bring US derivatives in-house: from reselling Polymarket and Hyperliquid products to running its own exchange
Blockchain.com has a pending FCM application and has reportedly applied to run a designated contract market. Today it distributes Polymarket event contracts and Hyperliquid-powered perps. Why crypto apps want the exchange.
Yuno plugs Coinbase stablecoin checkout into 1,000 payment methods: why merchants are adding digital dollars at the till
Yuno became Coinbase's first global commerce orchestration partner, letting merchants switch on one-click stablecoin checkout with settlement as soon as the same day. What it means for cross-border commerce.
Trading 212's revenue jumps 70 percent to 345.8 million pounds, and it spent 44 million building outside the UK
Trading 212 revenue rose about 70 percent to 345.8 million pounds in 2025, with pre-tax profit above 127 million. It invested 44 million pounds abroad, nearly half in Germany, where its BaFin-regulated unit now operates.
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Anchorage Digital buys Routable to bring stablecoins into corporate payouts: a crypto bank moves into accounts payable
Crypto bank Anchorage Digital acquired Routable, a payment orchestration platform for fiat and stablecoin payouts to more than 220 countries. It becomes Routable by Anchorage Digital, targeting Fortune 500 finance teams.
LSEG and CMC Markets sign a multi-year data deal: why brokers now compete on data as much as on spreads
CMC Markets signed a multi-year strategic data agreement with LSEG covering real-time and delayed prices, reference data, corporate actions, news, analytics and AI-ready content. What it says about CMC's strategy and the broker data race.
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Stripe agrees to buy Parafin: why embedded small-business credit is the next prize in payments
Stripe agreed to acquire Parafin, which supplies the credit that platforms such as DoorDash, Gusto, Jobber and Mindbody offer their small-business customers. Parafin has provided capital access to more than 60,000 businesses since 2020.
cTrader lets brokers and prop firms ship their own plugins to every client: why the trading platform is becoming an app store
Spotware now lets brokers and prop firms build their own cTrader plugins and pre-install them for all clients on mobile, web, Windows and Mac, or list them in a store reaching 12 million traders. What it means for broker differentiation.
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
NAGA adds Lloyd's insurance of up to 1 million euros per client: how broker insurance really works, and how it compares with Capital.com, Skilling and Vantage
NAGA's CySEC entity now carries Lloyd's cover of up to 1 million euros per eligible client, but the aggregate cap is undisclosed. What excess-of-loss broker insurance covers, what it does not, and how to compare offers.
Coinbase makes USDC the default dollar stablecoin in Samsung Wallet: what it means for phones, payments and Circle
From late October, Samsung Wallet users in the US will see USDC as the default dollar stablecoin, with Coinbase providing the infrastructure and custody. Why wallet defaults decide stablecoin winners.
Monday, October 12, 2026
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Friday, October 9, 2026
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Anyone can now launch a liquidity business. That is the problem and the opportunity
B2Broker launched a turnkey package for firms to build their own prime-of-prime liquidity business, and B2PRIME tied up with Your Bourse to plug liquidity into brokers' execution. Liquidity is being productised.
Capital.com just went commission-free on 2,280 stocks and ETFs
Capital.com launched commission-free trading in about 2,280 real stocks and ETFs for clients in the European Economic Area. A CFD broker is becoming an investing app, and the timing after IG's crash is no coincidence.
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Interactive Brokers hit 5.6 million accounts while IG fell 22 percent
Interactive Brokers reported 5.6 million client accounts and 4.1 million daily average revenue trades, up 6 percent year on year, the same week IG crashed on weaker CFD retention. Two broker models, two very different weeks.
Nuveen just closed a 10 billion pound deal for Schroders and London lost another giant
Nuveen completed its roughly 9.9 billion pound cash acquisition of Schroders on 1 October, creating a 2.6 trillion dollar asset manager. The FCA has cancelled Schroders' listing. A 222-year-old British name now answers to an American owner.
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Revolut just bought a bank in Argentina, and 150,000 people are already waiting
Argentina's central bank approved Revolut's purchase of Banco Cetelem from BNP Paribas Personal Finance. It will become Revolut Bank Argentina, with a commercial launch planned for 2027 and more than 150,000 people on the waitlist.
Trade Republic is paying 3 percent on current accounts and banks should be nervous
Trade Republic launched free current accounts in Greece paying 3 percent on balances up to 50,000 euros, above the ECB's 2.5 percent rate. It is a broker acting like a bank, and it is a direct attack on deposit margins.
Citi and Coinbase just made stablecoin payments boring for big companies
Citi expanded its Coinbase partnership with virtual accounts that turn incoming dollars into stablecoins and checkout tools that convert stablecoins back to fiat. Corporate treasurers never have to touch a wallet.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
The IPO calendar for financial services into 2027 is thinner than it looks and it matters
Bitpanda's delay this week added to a growing list of financial services IPO postponements. The calendar into 2027 is thinner than the coverage suggests, and the specific composition shapes what deals will actually happen.
The 100 basis point question for year end and how brokers should talk to clients about it
Markets have priced further Fed tightening through year end. The specific question of whether that pricing holds shapes how brokers should communicate with clients, and the current communication is mostly weak.
The prop trading segment is quietly professionalising and the enterprise entrants are the catalyst
CMC Markets entering prop trading, alongside continued specialisation from the independent firms, is quietly reshaping the segment. The professionalisation is happening faster than most retail coverage acknowledges.
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Scope Markets hired a MENA research head and the talent shuffle is the shape of a growth market
Scope Markets hired Ibrahim Hossny as Head of Research and Marketing MENA. The specific hire is small news. The rate at which senior talent is moving between MENA broker operations is the shape of a growth market.
Hantec Prime tripled its trading volume and the institutional side of retail is what to watch
Hantec Prime reported trading volume up more than 300 percent and 42 new institutional clients through 2026. The story is not the growth number. It is where the growth is coming from.
Monday, September 28, 2026
The Danish FSA published its Inpay inspection results and payments oversight kept getting tighter
The Danish Financial Supervisory Authority released the findings of an inspection of Inpay. The specific findings matter less than the pattern of Northern European payments supervisors turning routine inspections into published reports.
Amex launched a business savings account and the SME deposit war just intensified
American Express introduced a high-yield business savings product on 17 September. The move formally opens Amex into the SME deposit market, and it lands into an intensifying competitive fight for balance-sheet share.
Revolut is exploring a dual New York and London listing and the venue choice is the story
Nik Storonsky told the market Revolut is exploring simultaneous listings in New York and London. A dual venue on this scale is unusual, and the choice signals what Revolut thinks about its own story.
Friday, September 25, 2026
The Senate blocked the CLARITY Act 50 to 49 and crypto policy just entered stasis
The Senate voted 50 to 49 against cloture on the CLARITY Act on 16 September, shelving the crypto market structure bill. Stasis is not neutrality. It is a state the market has to plan around.
Bitpanda pushed back its Frankfurt IPO and lost its CEO in the same week
Bitpanda's chief executive left as the crypto broker delayed its Frankfurt listing. Two decisions in one release, and the market read them as one signal about the European crypto IPO window.
Thursday, September 24, 2026
NAGA returned to profit and iFOREX cut EBITDA by more than half in the same week
NAGA reports back-to-profit and regional expansion. iFOREX halved H1 EBITDA to 1.4 million dollars. Read together, the two results describe a retail broker segment splitting into two very different populations.
Corpay paid 100 million dollars to the FTC and the industry should read the terms
Corpay agreed a 100 million dollar settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over previously disclosed allegations. The number is not the point. The precedent it sets for cross-border payment firms is.
Monday, September 21, 2026
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Monday, September 14, 2026
Sunday, September 13, 2026
Saturday, September 12, 2026
WikiFX: the controversial app that grades brokers by licence
WikiFX queries broker licences by app while carrying controversy and a crypto expansion.
TrustLicense vs WikiLicense: only one shows its working
TrustLicense publishes its full verification method while WikiLicense cannot be externally inspected.
Friday, September 11, 2026
IQ Option vs Pocket Option vs ExpertOption: the factual comparison
IQ Option, Pocket Option and ExpertOption compared on facts: sites, assets, apps and risks.
Ethena will pay you 6 percent to hold and 10 percent to spend
Ethena Pay beta brings 6 percent yield and 10 percent cashback to Avalanche checkout.
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
The BIS questions stablecoins just as 21 banks bet on them
BIS skepticism on stablecoin payments collides with the 21-bank consortium building a 2027 token.
SoFi and Kraken just invaded each other's turf, together
SoFi and Kraken linked banking and crypto with a SoFiUSD listing and Kraken Prime liquidity.
Monday, September 7, 2026
Sunday, September 6, 2026
Monday, August 17, 2026
Monday, August 10, 2026
Sunday, August 9, 2026
Saturday, May 2, 2026
The Milken Institute Just Ranked Six Southeast Asian Markets as Global Growth Leaders
The Milken Institute's Global Opportunity Index 2026 examines Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam as six of the world's highest-growth markets. Real GDP growth ranging from 4.3 to 7.1 percent. Supply chain FDI surging. For financial brands, the institutional validation of ASEAN's trajectory is one of the most commercially significant signals of 2026.
Indonesia Is the Prize of ASEAN M&A in 2026. Financial Brands Still Treat It as an Afterthought.
M&A advisory firm research published in 2026 identifies Indonesia as the single largest addressable market in Southeast Asia. 280 million people. GDP growth consistently above 5 percent. PE-backed deal activity accelerating across fintech, healthcare, and logistics. Most international financial brands are still entering it with strategies designed for smaller markets.
Singapore's Equity Market Is Stirring. The MAS Says There Is Still Much Work Ahead.
Singapore's stock market is showing signs of revival in 2026 but the Monetary Authority of Singapore has been explicit that the structural gaps in research depth, corporate behaviour, and retail participation remain stubbornly unsolved. For financial brands in the region, the unfinished business of Singapore's equity market revival is a specific and commercially relevant story.
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Monday, April 27, 2026
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Monday, April 20, 2026
Thursday, April 9, 2026
Thailand's Political Transition Is Creating a Financial Brand Window That Most Brokers Have Not Priced In
The pro-military Bhum Jai Thai Party is leading post-election coalition formation in Thailand as of April 2026. Political transitions in Thailand have historically created underappreciated windows for financial brand market entry. This one is no different.
The Malaysian Ringgit Is Outperforming Every Other Currency in Southeast Asia This Week. Here Is Why It Matters
While regional currencies stumbled under Middle East energy shock pressure, the Malaysian ringgit built a 0.6 percent gain this year as of early April 2026. The structural reasons behind that outperformance are directly relevant to every financial brand considering Malaysia.
Microsoft Just Invested Over $1 Billion in Thailand. What It Means for Every Financial Brand Targeting Southeast Asia
Microsoft's $1 billion AI and cloud commitment to Thailand announced on March 31, 2026 is not just a technology story. It is a market signal that changes what financial brand authority means in Southeast Asia's fastest-growing digital economy.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Malaysia Is Becoming Southeast Asia's Most Underrated Financial Brand Opportunity
Malaysia leads Southeast Asia in IPO volume, has a maturing retail investor base, and is attracting global semiconductor and tech investment. For financial brands, the timing to enter has rarely been better.
Singapore Now Has 129 MAS-Licensed Brokers. What That Means for Every Financial Brand Targeting Southeast Asia
As of April 2026, Singapore hosts 129 active MAS CMS-licensed brokers. The regulatory density of this market is reshaping what brand authority actually means across all of Southeast Asia.
Friday, April 3, 2026
The Indonesia Opportunity That Most Financial Brands Are Still Underestimating
Indonesia has the largest untapped retail financial audience in Southeast Asia. Most foreign brokers are still approaching it with strategies designed for smaller, more mature markets.
Performance SEO Is Not What Most Brokers Think It Is in Southeast Asia
Most financial brands in Southeast Asia treat SEO as a technical task. The ones growing fastest treat it as the most scalable trust channel available to them.
Vietnam Is the Most Important Financial Market Opportunity in Southeast Asia Right Now
Vietnam's FTSE upgrade to Emerging Market status in 2026 is unlocking foreign capital at scale. For financial brands, the window to establish presence before the crowd arrives is closing fast.
